The present invention relates to a video game system (device) for a growth game or a like game in which specific abilities are given to a main character by causing the main character on a video screen to perform a simulated experience (roll-playing) instead of a game player using a cassette type storage medium including an optical disk, magnetic disk or semiconductor memory storing program data, a character growth control game and a readable storage medium storing a game program.
As roll-playing games in which a game player goes through a simulated experience as a main character on a video screen, battle games in which the main character grows while repeating battles with enemy character(s) in various scenes are known. There are also known games in which an individuality is given to a main character by allotting abilities of specified values from a plurality of kinds of abilities to the main character.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 9-140938 discloses a game in which points allottable to various abilities are given to a player at certain probabilities by causing a main character to execute various speeches/actions, and the player having desired abilities is reared by allotting the given points to desired ability values, wherein particularly physical and mental states of the character are changed according to the selected speech and the above probabilities are changed according to the physical and mental states.
In the above battle games, the fighting ability of the main character is improved as he fights with an enemy character. Since this fighting ability is strengthened or weakened according to a game operating ability of the game player and an ability growing factors depend only on the fighting state with the enemy character, the same or similar results are always obtained. As a result, these battle games lack an interesting nature as a game. Further, in the games in which various abilities of the main character are allottably set, only the main character which is set exactly as the player instructed is obtained. Thus, these games lack in variety, and therefore lack an interesting nature as a game.
Further, in the growth game disclosed in the above publication, the physical and mental states lead to an increase of the given points at a certain probability and the given points are adopted to be allotted to the ability values. Therefore, these points cannot serve as a judgment factor for the evaluation of the growth.
In view of the above problems residing in the prior art, an object of the present invention is to provide a video game device, a character growth control method and a readable storage medium storing a growth program, which provide high interesting nature and gaming nature by realizing a growth evaluation of a main character from a broad point of view, i.e. realizing a growth roll-playing in a more realistic manner.
A first aspect of the present invention relates to a video game device comprising:
a speech/action storage means for storing contents of various speeches and actions of a leader character to be given to a main character as an ability growth object relating at least to training and a random factor;
a display control means for displaying the leader character, the main character, menus corresponding to the various speeches/actions made by the main character, and contents of the speeches/actions to be executed on a display unit;
an operation unit for successively selectably instructing the menu corresponding to an arbitrary speech/action from the various menus displayed on the display unit;
a speech/action executing means for reading out the speech/action corresponding to the menu instructed by the operation unit and causing the main character to perform the content of the speech/action into which the random factor is incorporated to thereby obtain an execution result,
an ability value updating means for successively updating an ability value of the main character according the execution result of the content of the speech/action;
a parameter storage means for storing an enthusiasm parameter which is set to be a positive value corresponding to each training-related speech/action while being a negative value corresponding to any other speech/action;
an enthusiasm parameter adding means for adding a corresponding set value to a present enthusiasm parameter presently given to the main character every time the speech/action is executed,
a reliability degree calculating means for calculating a reliability degree between the main character and the leader character, and
a judging means for judging a successful growth based on conditions if the ability value of the main character is equal to or above a specified level after the speeches/actions are executed a specified number of times and if the reliability degree given to the main character is equal to or above a specified level.
With the video game device constructed as above, the leader character and the main character of this video game suitably appear on the display unit, and the menus corresponding to the various speeches/actions of the main character and the contents of the speeches/actions to be executed are displayed on the display unit if necessary. Various contents of speeches/actions of the leader character to be given to the main character as an ability growth object and relating at least to the training and the random factor are successively read from the speech storage means and executed according to the successive operation of the operation unit, and the main character is caused to perform the contents of speeches/actions into which the random factor is incorporated, thereby obtaining the execution results. The ability value is successively updated according to the execution result of the speech content every time the speech is executed. The speech may be executed, for example, upon each lapse of a specified time unit of, e.g. one week in a time axis of the game. The successful growth is judged if the ability value of the main character is equal to or above the specified level after the speeches/actions are executed a specified number of times.
More specifically, the enthusiasm parameter which is set to be a positive value corresponding to each training-related speech while being a negative value corresponding to any other speech is stored in the enthusiasm parameter storage means. Every time the speech is executed, the enthusiasm parameter adding means adds the corresponding set value to the enthusiasm parameter presently given to the main character. Further, the reliability degree calculating means calculates a reliability degree between the main character and the leader character based on the execution result of the speech and the enthusiasm parameter value at that time. The judgment as to a successful growth is made based on the growth success condition, i.e. whether the reliability given to the main character is equal to or above the specified level, after the speeches/actions are executed the specified number of times.
A second aspect of the present invention is directed to a character growth control method for a video game in which an ability value of a main character is successively updated every time the speech/action is executed by successively executing various contents of speeches/actions of a leader character to be given to the main character as an ability growth object and relating at least to training and a random factor according to the consecutive operation of an operation unit, and causing the main character to perform the contents of speeches and actions into which the random factor is incorporated, said method comprising the steps of:
storing an enthusiasm parameter which is set to be a positive value corresponding to each training-related speech/action while being a negative value corresponding to any other speech/action is stored;
adding a corresponding set value to a present enthusiasm parameter presently given to the main character every time the speech/action is executed,
calculating a reliability degree between the main character and the leader character based on an execution result of the speech/action and the enthusiasm parameter value at that time, and
judging a successful growth based on conditions if the ability value of the main character is equal to or above a specified level after the speeches/actions are executed a specified number of times and if the reliability degree given to the main character at the time of the judgment is equal to or above the specified level.
A third aspect of the present invention is directed to a readable storage medium for storing a character growth program of a video game in which an ability value of a main character is successively updated every time the speech/action is executed by successively executing various contents of speeches/actions of a leader character to be given to the main character as an ability growth object relating at least to the training and a random factor according to the successive operation of an operation unit, and causing the main character to perform the contents of speeches/actions into which the random factor is incorporated, wherein an enthusiasm parameter which is set to be a positive value corresponding to each training-related speech/action while being a negative value corresponding to any other speech/action is stored; a corresponding set value is added to a present enthusiasm parameter presently given to the main character every time the speech/action is executed, a reliability degree between the main character and the leader character is calculated based on an execution result of the speech/action and the enthusiasm parameter value at that time, and a successful growth is judged based on conditions if the ability value of the main character is equal to or above a specified level after the speeches/actions are executed a specified number of times and if the reliability degree given to the main character at the time of the judgment is equal to or above the specified level.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon a reading of the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.